The Heat
by Jackson
Summary: Thrown from her village into demon infested woods, Kaoru has little hope for the future.  However, gold eyes seem interested and might decide to keep her around... for the time being. On Hiatus Until March 2011.  Story to be partially re-written as well.
1. Misfortune

**AN: I don't own anything :D So if you think I'm Nobuhiro Watsuki… you'd be wrooooong (it wouldn't be as good of a story if I were)**

_The Heat…_

It was nearly stifling. Kaoru walked up the deserted path between two fields, the sun hung low in the sky, slowly sinking to the horizon. It would soon be night; Kaoru gave it twenty minutes before the sun would be completely lost from sight. It didn't worry her much though; this was a farmer path, used mostly for transporting animals and farm equipment to and from the fields. If there were bandits, they would be on the main roads, not a path so rarely used. In fact, Kaoru took this route home more often than not when returning home from the small town, and she could easily count the number of times she had encountered anyone on it. Kaoru felt a bead of sweat glide down her spine and wished desperately for even the slightest breeze. She was entirely soaked in sweat before even getting half way home and was grateful that the sun would soon no longer be beating against her skin.

With a heavy sigh, she wiped her brow, pushing her bangs away from her eyes and began to think about the things she had heard in town that day.

_The Battousai is expected to return soon… _She had heard a few girls gossip behind her as she waited to purchase rice. This wasn't the most abnormal gossip. Even she knew that the large shrine-like house on the hill above the town would soon have its master home. Every time they began to get attacked from outside the village by the demons that inhabited the forest, he would re-appear, and the bodies of the berserker demons would be found shortly there after. It was very predictable. Although… no one that Kaoru knew of had ever seen him, and there were but rumors of his appearance, which were probably fantasized since Battousai himself was a demon.

He had been around for a _very _long time, though his presence didn't make her feel any safer. Kaoru's major threat was the townspeople themselves, not demons outside the town. She sighed as she began to think about the odd stares she always got whenever she had to make a trip into town. Shifting the bag of rice to her left hand, along with a small box in order to give her right arm a break, she kicked a stone along the path, deep in thought.

_If only my parents were alive…. If only my eyes were brown… If only I weren't such a tomboy…_

She frowned at herself. Kaoru rather liked herself, but the way people looked at her, finding it unnatural for a young girl to live along in a dojo, teaching kenjutsu.

_When I can GET students at least. _ Kaoru thought bitterly. As it was looking more recently, she hadn't had a student in months and she was quickly running out of funds to not only care for the dojo, but herself as well. It was like the entire town had begun to turn on her. Her father had died only eight months ago, but it seemed that with his loss, they felt she needed to move into the town and begin learning "how to be a lady". They had at least let her grieve, she surmised, not that it helped matters.

_I don't know why I should have to try and live up to their expectations anyways. I'm nearly 18… _she stopped mid-thought. _Eighteen. _She sighed. It was true, and she had to admit that all the girls she had known growing up were already married… except for her. The problem was, she didn't want to just sit and cook and clean all day. She winced… the thought of having to cook for anyone but herself made her stomach turn.

_I'd most likely poison my family unintentionally. _Kaoru frowned at the thought and mentally kicked herself for her ineptitude in the kitchen. The problem was, she had just never found a man that she felt she could really be herself around, without the fear of judgment.

_Men want a soft woman, who is sweet, and quiet. Not someone who will yell, or who has a short temper… I'm not quiet, and I've been practicing Kamiya Kasshin Ryu too long to be considered soft. _

The truth was, Kaoru enjoyed the idea of settling down, but she didn't want to be forced to quit practicing and teaching the fighting style her father had founded, the sword that protects. Staring at the ground, Kaoru realized that it had gotten quite dark, only a few lingering rays from the sun could be seen over the edge of the trees. Looking ahead, she saw the small canopy of trees that signaled she was close to home. Kaoru was grateful for this sign, even her butt was sweaty from the horrid heat, the first heat wave of the summer. Glancing at the small river that ran next to the field on her left, she had a strong urge to simply jump into the refreshing water. She continued walking as she considered the pros and cons. She was pretty desperate to cool off, there was never anyone on the road and as soon as the road ended it was possibly another 3 minutes to her house… 1 if she just ran the final distance. In addition, she lived on the outskirts of town and there was unlikely to be anyone on the road for that short distance, in fact only one house in this direction was farther than hers from the town. Mulling it over, and deciding it would be alright as long as she kept her haori and hakama on. Frowning at her clothes, she knew this was one of the reasons for the looks she received in the village.

Women did not traditionally walk around in clothes meant for men… but Kaoru had but one kimono, and it was one of her prized possessions, and another reason for not wearing any of her kimono garments under the haori. Kaoru was definitely not going to wear it this heat, no excess layers of clothes when what she had covered everything up just fine. Cutting across the field she pulled a tasuki cord from her sleeve and tossed it over her shoulder. About five feet from the waters edge, she set down her goods and tied the cord, she didn't want her sleeves to catch on a root, among a number of other things that stuck out from the edge of the river.

Sitting down, she began to remove her sandals and tabi. Just having her feet free felt amazing, and she wiggled her toes in the grass for a moment before standing up and stepping into the water.

"Ahhh" a sigh escaped her lips. The water was almost chilly, a true testament to exactly how hot it had been getting lately. Slowly, she stepped deeper and deeper into the water until she lost her footing on the slick sediment of the river and fell completely under the water. Bursting immediately back to the surface, Kaoru had to laugh, no one was around and the water was just amazing. Cupping some water in her hands she splashed her face. This was just the thing she needed to bring her spirits back after walking around the town, getting looks as if she were diseased. It made her feel clean and refreshed, though she knew she would need another bath once she arrived home. After a few minutes of swimming around, and noticing that the only light she had was that of the half moon above, she decided it was best to continue along her way. Clumsily, she pulled herself out of the water, and without replacing her tabi, she slipped her sandals on and picked up her goods again. Trying to wring some of the excess water from the fabric bunched under her arms with her free hand. Keeping the tasuki tied, she began back across the field, humming softly.

Within minutes she made it back to the main road, and picking up her pace, she began to hurry home, knowing the water made the fabric cling to her body and that she should be more embarrassed about her appearance than she currently was, but the lack of an audience made it hard for her to care. As she neared the gate of her dojo, she saw three figures waiting for her, and she slowed down, self consciously tugging the fabric away from her stomach and breasts, that were luckily bound under the white haori. The shadowed figures, lit only by the moon, shifted and she knew they had seen her. Glancing around as she approached them, she looked for a stick or something that could possibly be used as a weapon in the event they meant more harm than good. Unfortunately, it was too dark for her to identify anything among the grass and shrubs lining the road, and so biting her lip, she neared them and stopped about 15 feet away.

"Well, it's about time the lil' orphan showed up… out trying to make side money but found no takers and coming home early I'm guessing?" the man to the right, closest to the gate said with obvious disgust in his voice.

_Rumors… _she sighed. _Simply because I don't like being around the town much doesn't mean I'm off doing something perverted! _She mentally yelled, annoyed. She didn't feel threatened… yet. She was obviously out numbered, but she had dealt with such nuisances before, and she was sure that these unknown men wouldn't be too challenging. As far as she could see in the dark, they did not carry swords, though who knew what they kept hidden from view. It was more frustrating than anything, mostly because a rumor would go around, she would somehow take the blame and people would show up at her door, intending to teach her a lesson.

"Looks like a drown rat." Commented the man directly in front of her. The one at the back left stood a little bit away from the others, more in the shadow of the trees and remained silent. She wondered if they thought she hadn't noticed him. Kaoru ground her teeth at the comment, trying to keep her mouth shut… which was _very _difficult.

The male to the right snorted at the comment and chuckled lightly. Then continued; "Look. You're an embarrassment to the entire region. Our town is a laughing stock, honest farmers work their asses off and you just walk in and trample the fields, dishonor our village trying to pull students from other dojos and dressing like a man for fuck knows why, lord knows what you do behind this gate with your 'students'." He was obviously trying to hold his cool. He seemed to Kaoru like the sort of person heavily influenced by rumors, and thought of himself as righteous and 'protector of the village', the idea made Kaoru mentally roll her eyes.

"Alright… you going somewhere with this, cuz as much as I'd LOVE to chat with you, I would like to go home." Kaoru ground out, her jaw tightening as the man in front of her closed the distance between them, stopping about 3 feet away, which made Kaoru somewhat uncomfortable but she hid it behind an angry glare.

He laughed and leaned towards her, his brown eyes small and beady. "Oh, this ain't your home n'more ya lil' bitch. Yohiro told us how you couldn't keep your hands off him, touching him in the middle of public indecently. Like you're just dying to get fucked by anything. Now me…" he eyed her up and down and Kaoru realized again how the fabric must be clinging to her body and she pulled at the fabric so it was less revealing. "I wouldn't mind a romp now and then, but I'd prefer not to do it with a flat board, gotta have something ta grab onto." Kaoru glared daggers at him at the comment and weighed the rice in her hand, trying to decide if it was hard enough to do some serious damage, unfortunately she didn't want to lose her food to this prick, and fisted her open hand into her haori until her knuckles turned white.

"So, seein as how yer pissin' everyone off. An seein' how we got some demons tryin' ta get some of our DECENT ladies for dinner from the village, an it's not lookin' like Battousai will be here for another couple days…" he trailed off with a grin that made his eyes look frighteningly wild. Kaoru was pretty sure she saw where this was going and _Hell No._

"You think I'm just going to let you block off the entrance to my home and skip merrily into the hands of whatever demon, or demons are out there for a willing snack!" Kaoru dropped her package and rice and swung her right fist quickly at the mans stubbly face.

A sickening crack was heard as the bones in her hand connected with the bone in his jaw. Quickly, before he could recover, and before the other two could come at her, she had to debilitate him in some way, dropping quickly to the ground and spinning as she slid her leg out swiping his feet out from under him. The impact on his back had obviously knocked the wind out of him and he was faster to recover than Kaoru had thought, backing away before she could break his ankle with her foot. The man from the shadows appeared to her left and she swiftly swung a bent arm up, her forearm connecting with his jaw, snapping his head back, quickly with her arm still head level with him, she shifted her shoulder and brought her forearm back across his face, dislocating his jaw. He howled, and stumbled back. Kaoru knew she was too slow for the other two and the 'gentleman' of the bunch grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her side, legs spread between hers so she was unable to kick him in the groin, as he shoved her chest up against the wall of her own gate. She growled and yelled obscinities, and they wonder why she didn't act like a girl when she was obviously not treated like one. She was fuming, and her mind raced to think of a way out of her predicament.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the pervert light a pile of dry wood that had been stacked carefully against the outer dojo wall, they were going to burn down her dojo! She began to kick and scream with renewed vigor, watching in horror as the dojo began to ignite.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE! I NEVER EVEN TOUCHED YOHIRO, I DON'T EVEN LIKE HIM! He's a goddamn liar and you guys KNOW it. Any excuse to get rid of me? Is that the new plan? I've lived here my whole life and no one cared!" Kaoru could feel the tears at her eyes, but the weight at her back was much stronger than she had given him credit for, and for the life of her, she couldn't shake his hold on her, she had tried everything she knew, and even with the few scratches and bruises she had been sure to give him, he never loosened his grip on her.

"We did care." He grit out into her ear, his disgust clearly evident in his tone. "We just couldn't do anything with your father around."

Kaoru's heart stopped, "You didn't… didn't…" she struggled with more emotions. The male behind her seemed to understand what she was saying.

"Kill him? No. That was an accident, his death had never been intentional, nor planned." The man behind her frowned. He then yelled, which made Kaoru grimace as it was directly in her ear, "Fucking hurry this up Kimaru, her damn clothes have soaked thru mine and she smells like shit."

Kimaru, the man who was eagerly setting fire to everything around the dojo, made a 'tsking' noise. The third man was still whimpering and holding his swollen jaw on the ground. Kaoru's heart felt like it had stopped beating though. Everything her father had worked for, everything she loved, was gone. It was burning, and there would be nothing left… not a single thing. She closed her eyes, no longer able to watch the fire as it spread to other areas, and the man behind her, sighed in clear annoyance, and knocked her hard in the back of the head, and everything went black.

When Kaoru finally came to, she noticed she was in the middle of the woods, and it was still dark. She could smell the smoke in her clothes that were nearly dry now, and it reminded her of what had just happened. Glancing around, she saw that the bag of rice and her box were laying next to her.

_Why wouldn't they take it? _ She thought to herself. _Probably just wanted to get rid of anything that had to do with me… even food._

She curled her legs up, ignoring the headache she had and bent her head down over her knees. She felt lost in every way.

_What do I do now? Should I just look for a demon… no one would have to worry about me bothering them ever again. _But even as she had the thought, it disgusted her. It just wasn't in her nature to be bent to circumstance. She had always been defiant, had always had a very stubborn streak in her, and it had kept her alive. She bit her lip and continued to think rationally.

_I'll have to go far… maybe I can try to look at this in a good way. _She tried, though her heart wasn't much in it, the pain of losing her home would not just fade over a number of hours. She may not have liked the town since her fathers death, but the dojo had always been her private sanctuary. She already missed the wooden floors and her and her fathers bokken that were hung side by side on the wall of the dojo. The kimono she adored, she would never wear again. She sighed at the heartache that hurt worst of all, the portraits of her parents that were in her room, they would have burned quickly in the fire.

Taking a deep breath to try and control her emotions, she would have to cry later, but right now, she had to move if she was going to get a head start on the demons that would likely track her scent through the forest. Picking up the box next to her, she opened it slowly and pulled out a small glass bottle, it was curved along the sides and was tinted a slight hue of blue. She had purchased the small amount due to the expense, and it had been spur of the moment. In the woods, if she were to open it, she knew that she would have a large number of demons on her almost instantly. Kaoru frowned remembering she had tried it on in the store, and that there would be a hint of the scent on her, but it had only been a drop and she hoped it wasn't strong enough for a demon to catch a good whiff. Musing over it, mostly to keep her mind off other things, _Jasmine._ It made her feel less of a sweaty kendo teacher and more of a 'blossoming', she snorted somewhat annoyed with herself now, young woman.

A heavy breeze swept through the woods, it was cool and made her shudder. It smelled like a storm was heading towards her within the next few hours. Slowly, she placed the bottle back in it's box, and picked up the rice as she stood. She would have no time to eat until she was a safe distance away from the town.

"So this is how it's going to be from now on." She said in a whisper to herself. She was scared, no longer having a safe haven to escape to. It would take her a long time to adjust.

_I have to find shelter for the night._

She began to make her way farther from the village and deeper into the woods. It was very creepy, but she shielded her mind from such thoughts, and tried her best to not let the sounds of the night discourage her. She prayed to be lucky enough to avoid a demon encounter. Kaoru thought she could remember there being a small over hang or cave near the hills on the other side of the town. As she walked, her mind wandered to any off the wall topic.

_I don't think I'm dishonorable. Of course, I know that they put blame on me for everything. _She rolled her eyes. _ I mean… there really isn't any PROOF that I'm the way they say I am. They see my clothes… maybe I'm still too childish. I mean really, why'd I have to jump in the river. You're not eight anymore Kaoru. _She chided herself.

_The Battousai… why does he even bother caring for the towns anyways? I mean the offerings for his service can't be THAT great. I wonder what they even offer him anyways. Father never really talked about him, he just would say he gets an offering and if it is sufficient then he will liberate the town of any berserker demons that attack. Battousai is a demon himself. What did they say he looked like again? _Kaoru tried to remember the rumors.

_Red hair. He looks like a young man with gold eyes. _ Kaoru thought about it and couldn't imagine the combination being very flattering, perhaps intimidating of course, but as attractive as all the young women seemed to believe him to be. Had anyone even seen him, or were these just the sort of odd thoughts that she suspected 'normal' girls had?

After walking for nearly two hours, the wind shifted again, bringing with it a foul, strong scent. She snapped out of her thoughts and felt another presence nearby. Looking around sharply, she didn't see anyone. Glancing at the ground she picked up a decent sized stick, about the width and length of her bokken, though perhaps somewhat heavier. A snap to her left made her turn sharply and there, on all fours was a large toad-like animal. Kaoru's heart lurched, _Demon!_ Quickly dropping her additional burdens, she pulled the stick up defensively, eye's narrowing, and her mind racing. She had never tried to fight a demon before, but from what she knew, they healed quickly, and were impossible for a human to kill.

The demon rumbled low in his throat and the sound made Kaoru shudder in horror.

"What is a little human like you doing in the woods so late?" It mused, not really asking, it seemed to be assessing her. "You smell sweet. It has been a long time since I've had something so fresh and young." It hummed joyously.

Without warning it leapt into the air, nearly landing on Kaoru if she hadn't leapt back as fast as she could. She readied her 'bokken', her heart pounding in her chest.

"I won't be an easy meal" she tried to threaten, but the slight tremor in her voice gave away the fear she was trying to push down her throat. The demon roared with laughter and before he was finished his tongue whipped out of his mouth at her face, Kaoru, nearly didn't have time to react, but got her stick up and held it firmly as he tried to rip it from her hands with his tongue. Gritting her teeth and using all the strength she had, she held on with both hands, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Pulling his tongue back he leapt and whipped it at her again, she again, moved out of the way and his tongue hit a tree instead of her, and Kaoru heard the demon growl in annoyance. Bellowing, he began to snap his tongue in her direction over and over in rapid succession, she tried to block as many of the jabs as she could with the stick, but a number of times she was hit in the knee, shoulder or gut. The moment she got a break in his attack, she tried to jump up into a tree, but the demon was faster and his tongue wrapped around her ankle and pulled her sharply back to the ground. She hit the twigs and leaves with a grunt. Tightening her grip on the twig, the demon chuckled and whipped his tongue back into his mouth, pulling her with it. As fast as she could, she dug the uneven end of the branch into his tongue. It was enough for the demon to hiss and loosen his grip on her long enough for her to get away from the sticky tongue.

_RUN! _ Her mind told her. But her ankle had twisted sharply when he had pulled her back down and she was doing her best just not to show it. She stood, her stick held up in front of her.

"No more games." The demon grunted and she saw him open his mouth wide, his throat began to glow orange, and before she could react, she saw flames burst from his mouth and shoot towards her. It was too wide, too much, there was no way for her to escape it.

_So I'll be a cooked meal huh? _Kaoru's sadistic mind mused. She felt the heat near her and closed her eyes.

**************************************************************************************END CHAPTER 1**

AN: Hopefully that wasn't a bad start. I haven't really written anything in 5 years… but let me know how you feel about it. ^-^ Rating is inaccurate at the moment, but it will get better and, well… I'm a romantic at heart so it will probably get there, but I'm not a fan of pulling Battousai much out of character and turning him into a fluffy teddy bear, the attraction is the fact that he ISN'T a teddy bear.


	2. Demons

**AN: I don't own anything :D So if you think I'm Nobuhiro Watsuki… you'd be wrooooong (it wouldn't be as good of a story if I were)**

A second later, Kaoru realized she wasn't on fire, and that in fact, she was being held against someone, or something. She didn't know how it had happened, one moment she was about to be devoured by flames, and the next, the spot where she had been was ablaze, and she was being set on the ground by what appeared to be a man not much taller than she.

The toad bellowed at the intrusion. "SHE IS MINE! Stand aside."

The man did not look at her, but from the light of the burning tree, she could see his hair was long, held in a high pony tail like a samurai and it was the most amazing color red she had ever seen in her life.

_Red hair. The Battousai? _Kaoru couldn't see his face, but something inside her told her it must be him, but why he was there, why he had saved her and why he seemed somewhat annoyed, she couldn't fit the puzzle together. She wasn't in the village, the demon hadn't techinically attacked the village. Kaoru bit her lip, she just wasn't sure what to think, but the man did not turn towards her. All she knew was the heavy aura washing off him made it difficult to breathe, and watched in awe as he rested his right hand on the hilt of his katana and sighed in annoyance.

The toad readied to belch fire again, opening his mouth, Kaoru saw the orange swell in his throat. Then, her eyes widened, the demon was engulfed in his own flame, his neck had been slit before he could finish, and she realized the man was no where near her anymore, he stood next to the dying demon, sheathing his katana slowly. Kaoru hadn't even seen him move. The man turned towards her, and she knew with the gold eyes that burned her skin, it had to be The Battousai. Her heart leapt into her throat at the deadly grin he gave her, and fumed when she saw his gaze wander somewhat lazily over her body, _He has no right!_

_Did he save me to eat me instead? Why isn't he moving, he's just staring at me. _Kaoru felt his gaze engulf her, and her body shuddered. She couldn't kill the toad, and she knew if he could do it so easily, and so swiftly, she didn't stand a chance. After a moment, he began to move towards her, his neck arched for a moment and she saw him sniff once, his jaw tight and he stopped a few feet from her, glaring down at her with those burning eyes. She couldn't read the look at all though, and she couldn't move. Finally, she got her wits somewhat and glared back at him, and he arched an eyebrow.

_So what if he can snap my neck before I even know what is going on? If he does, at least it would be a quick death. _ Kaoru didn't really want to die, but she had never taken well to being bullied, and his eyes, felt judging, though with the length that he stared, obviously somewhat interested as well, however 'interest' did not seem to soften the look at all.

It seemed like forever before Kaoru was able to speak. She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath, and she exhaled. The look in his eyes had caused her to cease breathing entirely, and in the back of her mind she had to admit, the rumors had been true, and he was breathtaking, though she would never say it aloud… ever.

"You're-" she ground out, her voice somehow hoarse. She tried to drag her eyes from him, but she couldn't seem to do it. He didn't react to her word, and didn't seem much interested in how she had planned to finish it. Instead, she gripped the stick that had dropped to the ground, and tried to stand up. The Battousai merely watched her move, his eyes following with a deathly glare. Kaoru wasn't sure it was smart to be moving, especially with the look he had in his eyes, as if he were trying to get her to burst into flames too. One thing for sure was that if he was going to try and eat her, she was going to put up a fight first, even as weak of an attempt as it seemed, even to her.

Slowly, she tried to pull the wood up in front of her, it took some effort, the lashing from the toads tongue had left large bruises all over he body, and she bit her lip to help focus her mind on the demon before her. His eyes narrowed slightly at her, and he finally turned his gaze away sharply, as if something to the right had caught his immediate attention. He angled his eyes back at her for a moment, then turned his back on her and began walking away. After a few steps he turned his head gracefully to glare at her over her shoulder and said coldly, "Come."

Kaoru thought he was crazy, she stared dumbfounded at the demon striding casually away from her. _Yah, I'm gonna follow you. Attractive… yes. But you don't have a freaking spell on me or something! _ She thought, fuming. She glared at his retreating figure, and after a moment, he paused and turned sideways to look at her once more.

"Come." He said again. Then, his eyes changed slightly, but before she could recognize the look, it vanished and he was staring at her in a much more excited manner, and he slightly curled one side of his mouth in a partial grin that was non-too-comforting for Kaoru. She stood perfectly still, apparently it seemed, he had just been made aware of something… something that pleased him.

"Stay if you like. But with your scent fogging up the entire forest, I'm sure you'll have a few more _friends _to play with soon enough." His voice was so harsh, it caused Kaoru biting her lip again to keep from wincing at the tone. It was like his words became solid, and filled the air, trying to suffocate her. She looked away from him finally, staring at the ground.

_Better odds against one demon… is the scent really that strong?_

She bent down and picked up the rice and box that were nearby. She wasn't entirely sure, but if he let her live… she'd like an opportunity to eat. Trying angrily not to limp, she began to follow him as he turned once more and strode away.

_I am having a bad day. Worst day really. Burned home, attacked by an overgrown toad… frog-thing. Get saved only to possibly be eaten, just by a more complex monster. At least I'm alive at the moment. _Kaoru's mind was in knots. She didn't know if it was better to follow this man, but she was too stubborn to just sit around waiting to be eaten. The wood was heavy in her hand, and she dropped it, it was little to no use anyways, especially since she could hardly hold it up at this point and he was carrying a katana. She felt weak, especially walking behind this man that just radiated more strength than his short height and build should be capable of.

She was growing weary fast, and her ankle seared with pain, she knew she was sweating slightly from the effort to continue walking and that she was walking more with a limp now than when they had first started off. No clue where they were going, but knowing that they had been walking for quite some time, she continued to follow him without complaint. She wasn't sure if she should say 'Thank you', especially since she really didn't know if he had saved her or if she would end up being his late night snack. Either way, he at least kept his tongue to himself she thought in amusement.

_Even if he is going to eat me later… I should say thank you. At least I am alive for a little while longer. _Kaoru was pretty sure the pain in her body might have made her somewhat delirious. She let out a soft, short snort of amusement.

"Thank you." She said, trying her best to sound normal.

Without pausing, or shifting, he let out a sharp, short laugh that made Kaoru's blood freeze, "Little bird, you've only traded a frog for something much, _much _worse." He grinned sadistically over his shoulder at her, "I won't be satisfied by simply devouring you."

Kaoru felt like hear heart stopped beating, and it took her a number of minutes to regain her composure from his words. Trying once again to sound normal and not let her emotions carry through in her voice, "At least I'm alive at the moment."

The man in front of her didn't respond, only continued walking, and the only sign he showed that he had heard her at all was a cynical snort.

After what had to be another hour, at least, to Kaoru, she sighed heavily, she was panting now, her body was sore and her ankle couldn't handle any of her weight anymore. Nearly hopping behind the man, each hop brought a sharp pain in her leg and she worried she might have made the twist much worse than it had been previously. The pace was grueling to top it all off, and when she tripped on a raised tree root and fell flat on her face, she exhaled and just laid there.

_Enough of this… I'm not a damn demon. I can't keep up with this asshole. _ She was too tired to care if he walked off on her. Slowly she, made the effort to roll onto her back and opened her eyes. The Battousai was staring down at her, _glaring more like it, _Kaoru thought.

"Get up." He ordered sharply.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes, _I'm not walking any farther. _ She frowned.

"Just leave me or eat me… I can't walk anymore." She panted, too tired to keep glaring even. The emotional stress of the day was finally taking a heavy toll on her, and she just wanted to fall asleep… if she could keep her ankle from throbbing long enough to do it.

Apparently he didn't get it because he repeated his previous order more firmly, "Get Up."

Kaoru closed her eyes, she wanted to throw something at him, if only he weren't a demon, he didn't seem to have a real sense of humor. "I can't walk any farther." She repeated and opened angry eyes at him, "I'm obviously slowing you down, my ankle is twisted, and I am not moving from this spot." Her voice was heated.

The man before her sent her a sharp look that Kaoru tried her best to counter, but she knew she failed miserably. The pain in her leg, arms, and stomach had taken away most of her fear, which was probably something you needed to have around this man, but she just was too exhausted to care. He bent down in front of her and pulled her into a sitting position firmly. His hand then went down to her ankle that had swollen to a good sized ball, and growled. Kaoru could feel his growl through his touch even, and it made her somewhat wary. His eyes snapped back to her.

"Your race is annoyingly weak." He said in a dark grumble.

"Well we can't all be freaks of nature now can we?" Kaoru shot back sarcastically. His hand fisted on her swollen ankle and she screamed in pain, black spots shooting before her eyes, and finally he released her ankle.

"What is WRONG with you!" she spat angrily when she found her voice. He bit the inside of his wrist and brought it to her lips. Kaoru looked at him as if he were insane, and clamped her mouth shut.

"Do it." He ordered, holding it to her mouth, but she simply tried to lean away and kept her mouth closed, glaring at him. However, the Battousai seemed out of patience, and grabbed his hand on the back of her head and shoved her mouth against his wrist and held it there harshly. Kaoru shut her eyes tightly, and bit her lip.

He didn't relent, even as she tried to pull away. Finally, she licked the blood off his wrist slightly, already the wound was nearly healed, and only a small slow stream poured out. The Battousai hissed as if he'd been burned. She peeked one eye open and glanced at him and she found that the blood… didn't really taste as metallic as it should. She licked more off his wrist and her lips, one eye still squinched shut, the other watching him carefully. His jaw tightened, and he pulled his wrist swiftly from her and stood. His aura was suddenly heavier, weighing on her shoulders.

"Get up." He said for the third time. Kaoru was about to argue, exasperated but she felt the throb in her ankle dim, and it felt much cooler than it had before. Looking, she noticed it was still swollen, but less so than it had been moments ago.

_Demon blood. It can help cure human ailments? Good thing people don't know about that, there would be a lot more men killed by demons, trying to get the blood to sell at a high price. _Kaoru was very much surprised, and then realized that the demon was currently still standing by her, waiting for her to stand up. Finally, with a heavy sigh, she stood.

"Why are you dragging me along with you?" Kaoru asked, after walking for another good while. "Where are we even going?"

The demon glanced back at her for a moment then turned forwards again, never stopping. "It's none of your business."

_His voice doesn't change much. On another topic… HOW is it none of my business! _Kaoru knew she was probably pushing the short tempered demon's buttons, but it just seemed not to matter, apparently he had no plans of just leaving her in the woods, he was going to simply march her to death though.

"How much farther?" she muttered, mostly to herself, and was somewhat surprised when she heard him growl again.

"Hour." Was his short reply, he didn't seem much interested in what she had to say, he kept looking off to the right every few minutes, which had her eyes following, but she never saw anything.

Kaoru needed to talk though, it was keeping her awake and now that she wasn't hurting anymore, her curiousity was getting the best of her. "Are some smells more… potent for a demon than others? Like certain smells stand out?"

He growled, but otherwise remained silent. Apparently, he had decided to simply stop answering her. However, this did not seem to deter her from asking further questions.

"How many demons live in these woods? We haven't run into more of them." Kaoru wondered how they had been so fortunate to not run into more demons. Night was supposedly when they were out in force, but she had only seen the toad and the man before her.

"Do demons ever eat just normal things, like deer, or rabbit? I mean I have to imagine fish is pretty tough if a demon's nose is so sensitive to everything." She continued to think out loud. She continued to go on about the sense of smell with different topics for a while. Kaoru felt it sort of made the time go by faster. But after a few more minutes of near non-stop wonderment… Battousai's shoulders had slowly tensed.

Suddenly the breath was knocked from her lungs as she was slammed against a tree, his body pressed roughly against hers, a hand around her throat. Her head ached from hitting the tree, and before she could see straight she heard a seething voice whisper against her ear.

"If living is what pleases you, I'd suggest you shut – " his mouth grazed her ear, "up."

Finally she was able to recover enough vision to see his head was pulled back, his amber gaze filled with bloodlust, and she felt terrified. Apparently, her fear of him made him much more satisfied and Kaoru remained silent and he took that as her co-operation. He didn't move, and her body remained rigid against his. Suddenly she felt something hot against her waist and realized that his fingers had slipped into what had to be a small tear in the fabric of her haori. Her eyes widened somewhat, she struggled to breathe, it felt like her lungs were constricting, and his hand gripped her waist firmly.

"If you think we are alone, you are mistaken. There are many others following your putrid scent." Her heart fluttered in her chest and he grinned wickedly, "But I do not believe in sharing."

As quickly as he had grabbed her, he released her and was walking away again. Kaoru didn't know what had happened, but she knew that he wasn't planning to kill her at the moment, and at least she wouldn't be torn apart by the other demons he claimed were following them. It took her a moment to calm her rapidly beating heart, but she was able to steadily follow him, still shaking from the contact, and trying desperately to gain control of herself.

To distract herself from him, she descreetely sniffed her shoulder, then under her arm. _I smell faintly of sweat, but I wouldn't call it putrid. Maybe it just stinks worse to him. _Kaoru was embarrassed at the thought of her odor smelling more strongly than she could smell it. Sniffing her haori, she could still smell the slight scent of the Jasmine she had tried earlier_, It somehow dripped to my haori. _She thought.

After walking for a good while longer, she finally saw lights from the shrine-like house on the hill. They were very close now, only a few more minutes. Kaoru was suddenly less sure she wanted to reach their destination, it would probably mean her life would soon be ending, though she really didn't want to try and trek behind the demon any longer than she had to. Climbing the steps to the house, she sighed, at least her ankle had almost completely healed at this point. Kaoru wasn't sure why he even bothered healing her if he was simply going to kill her. She tried to not think about the house and tried to remember what little information she thought she had heard about demons.

_Different types of demons… beast, like the toad earlier. Elementals, they had some power over things like earth, wind, rain, etc. Then there were Sentinels. She was pretty sure that the Battousai was this sort of demon. Sentinels were overall guards of the land. Demons were possessive by nature, but a sentinel was substantially more possessive due to their protective instincts. They were supposedly among the strongest and rarest of demons, and… _Kaoru tried to remember more but she just didn't really know much about his race, and she found she quickly ran out of facts. Once they neared the front door, she noticed another figure standing on the porch waiting for them. Squinting to try and see better in the darkness, she was able to see it was a woman.

She was very beautiful, with long flowing black hair, pointed face and beautiful dark eyes, hidden by long eyelashes. Kaoru knew the woman was taller than her, and much more filled out. The Battousai stopped a few feet away from her and looked over his shoulder at Kaoru, she walked the last few steps, coming to stop a bit behind him, her eyes glued to the woman.

"Megumi, give her a room." He grinned and moved his arm back to shove her forward roughly. Kaoru almost fell flat on her face but caught herself and couldn't help the glare she sent his way at her indignance. He merely grinned at her, and she wished he wouldn't, it felt like he was going to devour her with his eyes alone. Turning away from him, she looked back at the woman who sighed, as if having having better things to do.

"As you wish Kenshin. I don't know why you brought this child, she smells awful. Can I at least throw her in the tub? She'll stink up the entire house." The woman said with a short chortle.

The man… she had thought him to be Battousai… _maybe he is Battousai, but Battousai does sound more like a title, Kenshin is probably his name._ She deduced.

"Aa." Was his only reply as he walked past them and into the house. Kaoru wasn't sure how she felt at being at the mercy of this other demon. Was she also a sentinel?

Before she had time to think on it, she was shoved forward again, this time, by Megumi.

"Follow me Tanuki." She said, her voice edged with disapproval. They walked through the main room and deeper into the house. After a short walk the woman opened a door to a bathing room. Kaoru stepped in, and the woman shut and locked the door behind her, saying through the door, "Hurry up and get that foul stench off." Before she heard the woman step away.

Kaoru let out a sigh of relief. At least she was alone, no more gold eyes boring into her soul, nor evil women sneering at her. Slowly she pulled off her haori, and stood in only her hakama and bindings on her breasts. Looking at the tub, she saw it was already filled with water, and noticed two buckets on the floor near a chair, also already filled.

Slipping off her sandals and removing her hakama and bindings, she folded her clothes neatly and set them aside. Kaoru then sat on the stool and pulled her hair down from the pony tail she had put it in, and grabbed the first bucket, pouring the water over her body. Picking up the soap, she latered it well before proceeding to wash her body, she tried to do it as thouroughly as possible.

_Don't want them to continue to claim that I reek. It's annoying, especially since I can't smell it. _

Sighing when she felt sufficiently latered up, she took the second bucket and poured it over her, removing the soap from her body before standing and walking to the tub. Kaoru slid in with a contented sigh. It was amazing how the water helped to relax her, even in the oddest of circumstances. She looked at the ceiling and her mind wandered.

_What does he want with me anyways. If he wanted me, he would have raped and eaten me by now. What does he mean when he says he might have something worse planned for me? _Her mind thought back to the way his face had changed when she hadn't responded to his first calls to 'come'. _He seemed surprised and happy about something. Was he glad that I stayed where I was? That makes no sense Kaoru! _She tried her hardest to stay logical, but the warm water of the bath was relaxing her so much that she found herself falling asleep. Slowly, she dozed into a wonderful, dreamless sleep.

AN: Thanks for the reviews so far. I was already almost done with this chapter by the time I got the first up. Hopefully it lives up to expectations =/ I am already considering rewriting the first chapter though. I'm really not satisfied with the first chapter, and I'm not sure I want the dojo burned down. It is a little _too _dramatic for me, I mean, if she already has the hardships she has, I'd prefer to not overkill on her life, especially since it will soon become much more annoying, frustrating, sad, etc. Basically it's not gonna get better anytime soon xD And I feel the dojo being burned might be the straw on the camels back, I'd like her to have someplace she could run to if need be, and at the moment she doesn't. Also, I have a VERY vague idea where this story is going, so please be patient, the third chapter will take longer for me to get out.

Thank you all for the reviews! They make me very happy!


	3. Memories

**AN: I don't own anything :D So if you think I'm Nobuhiro Watsuki… you'd be wrooooong (it wouldn't be as good of a story if I were)**

Chapter 3

Kaoru woke to a pounding on the bathroom door. She jumped and heard an annoyed voice raise to her ears; "Hurry it up Tanuki, I don't wanna babysit you all night!" Kaoru frown, disgruntled and still half asleep.

"I have a NAME! Kaoru!" she yelled back, anger covering whatever fear she might have felt at yelling at a demon. There was no response, and she assumed the other woman had already left.

With a sigh, Kaoru looked down at her hands, they were somewhat pruned from sitting in the bath so long, _Maybe an hour? _ She thought, the water was somewhat cooler than she remembered from when she had fallen asleep. Taking a deep breath, she splashed her face and stood up. Grabbing a towel from a nearby shelf, she wrapped her hair up and then used a second to pat her body dry. Once dry, she pulled down a sleeping yukata from the wall. It was the only clothing in the room besides her own dirty ones, and deciding it was better than wearing a towel, slipped it on and tied the knot tightly. Her rice and box were on the floor as well, so she picked up her things and opened the door.

Outside the bathroom, Megumi was waiting for her. "I was hoping you had drowned." She commented then walked off, Kaoru assumed she was meant to follow, and so without saying anything, followed. It was an amazingly beautiful house, and it was huge. Kaoru felt like there was too much room at times, since there was little to no furniture. _Maybe they just don't spend much time in the house? _ She tried to reason.

The woman led her to a room down a long hall and opened the door, "You'll stay here, don't even bother trying to run off, you'll just get everyone in the house excited to chase something." She said in a bored tone.

Kaoru walked in the room and turned around, "What are you going to do with me?" she asked, the question growing ever more present in her mind since the Battousai had told her to follow him.

Megumi eyed her for a moment, then a deceptively friendly smile broke out across her face, it put Kaoru on edge. "If only it were so simple. He finds little interest in most things, so if he's interested enough to bring you here, you'll live until he bores of you." She then smiled wider, "And…" she shrugged, "who knows what we'll do then." She finished, slamming and locking the door with an amused laugh.

Kaoru ground her teeth at the sound, she really wasn't too fond of the female demon. Turning, she began to examine the room. She found a lamp and some matches, and worked for a moment to create light. When she was able to see more of the room, she realized it was actually quite beautiful. The walls were a soft off-white color, that seemed to melt leisurly in the gentle light of the candle. There was an incredibly soft looking futon on the floor, and some blankets, that looked equally comfortable. A large dark wood dresser that had stones and dark gems inserted, mixed with carvings. It was something that held her gaze for a long time, inspecting the amazing craftsmanship that must have gone into creating such a work of art. She placed her things on the floor near the dresser and walked to the shoji door, sliding it open. It led to a small porch. She realized now, stepping out into the night, why the Battousai liked his home here. You could see everything for miles into the distance, in every direction. The forest was breathtaking. She shuddered slightly against the wind, unsure of how it could be so unbearably hot during the day and so chilled at night. The wind was strong still and looking up, she could no longer see the moon, it seemed the storm would soon be upon her, and as she thought it, a low rumbling was heard in the distance.

The porch was farther from the ground than she would have thought, and she set the lamp down next to her and took a seat near the rails, letting her legs dangle off the edge. She felt more relaxed than she probably should have at that moment, and she was blissfully unaware that there was another presence in the room. Kaoru pulled the towel from her hair and began to dry the ends gently, then, lacking a brush, began to remove tangles as she stared out into the night, enjoying the quiet and calm. Her mood lifting with the bath, and keeping her thoughts off of still tender subjects, she began to hum softly to herself, still working the tangles out of her hair. She froze though when she heard an appreciative growl come from close behind her.

Turning swiftly, she looked up to see a large muscled man, with short sandy blond hair. Quickly rising to her feet and turning her back to the railing, she held her yukata tight near her collar bone. The mans dark eyes, seemed even darker with his heavy brows. She lifted her chin defiant at his leer.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my room?" she asked, trying to sound much tougher than she really felt, but using her tone to try and somehow infuse her self with more courage. The man licked his lips at her tone, grinning heatedly at her. He stepped forwards slowly, stalking towards her, like a wolf to an injured rabbit.

"Isurugi." He gave his name, with a rough voice. "You smell delicious." He almost panted. Kaoru could see something in his eyes, they were hazed over by something she couldn't quite pick apart. It wasn't one thing, there were many things going on in this mans head, and she was sure she would like none of them.

"Get Out." She said, her tone rising, her body still rigid, but she held her head higher and squared her shoulders.

_I've been bullied enough today. He's big, so he can't be too fast. _She tried to reason.

The man growled and lunged at her. She bent swiftly and barely got under his arm, dashing inside and to the other side of the room, as far as she could get away from him, almost to the door, she started to open it when a large hand shot out next to her head, slamming it shut again.

"No no… little pet. You will stay here." He said, as he quickly grabbed her around the waist with his other arm and threw her across the room. Kaoru panted, as she tried to slow down her body before crashing into the wall, but it was useless and the wind was knocked out of her yet again that day. Her hands held some splinters of her effort to avoid hitting the wall so roughly. The man was quickly in front of her again and he yanked her up by her hair.

"Let. Me. GO!" Kaoru screamed, her hair pulling painfully against her scalp, she lifted a leg to kick him in the crotch, but he shifted and she hit his thigh instead. Still, he grunted from the force of it. It only added fuel to the fire apparently, as he pushed her head down to the floor near the futon. Kaoru caught herself on her forearm before impacting the wood with her head. She glared up at him.

_I won't go down without a fight. _She narrowed her eyes at him, and when he went to grab her again, she flew a fist out to punch him in the face. She connected, but he gripped her hand before she could pull back. Trying to punch again with her other fist, he caught it easily and forced both hands back against the futon.

He smiled eagerly, "I like 'em fierce, but that's enough of that." Shifting to hold both her hands with one, and holding them on the floor above her head, as she thrashed and attempted to get free, lifting a leg to try and kick him again, but he was ready and put his knees on her thighs, she cried out in pain as his weight crushed her legs.

There was a crash and shortly there after, the weight was removed from her. Snapping her eyes open, she saw the red hair and narrowed eyes of the Battousai, holding Isurugi by the back of his kneck, his nails cutting into the flesh there. The larger man coughed, and Kaoru saw that Battousai must have punched him in the kidney.

"Raijuta… if you touch MY bird again. I will kill you." The words were simple, clear and in a tone that was as sharp as a katana. Shoving him almost through the door, he growled, "In fact. Leave this place now or I may be tempted to kill you for nothing other than sport." With that, he slammed the door back into place and turned burning eyes her direction. Kaoru noticed that he must have just taken a bath as well, as his hair was still wet, and was unbound. If possible, it made him look even more frightening. He was not wearing a yukata, but haori and hakama instead, and some deep part of her wondered if he ever wore anything else.

His eyes wandered down from hers and he grinned. Looking down, Kaoru squeaked as she saw the top of her breasts were easily viewed from the gap in her yukata, having been loosened from the tumble with Isurugi. Quickly pulling it closed and pushing the fabric securely back in place, she closed her legs and rubbed her sore thighs lightly careful of the splinters in her hands, before she let her eyes wander back to the man staring at her. His eyes were still heated, but he was no longer grinning, and she distinctly felt that this was a different sort of heat. She blushed. She didn't know how she could blush in this crazy situation, but she did, and it ran from her brow down to her chest.

"Th-Thank you" she said breathily, struggling to speak with the look he was giving her.

He frowned, "I'm growing tired of that sentiment."

"Well. Regardless of what you have planned for me, at least you aren't forcing yourself on me." She stated, trying again to find her defiance in the face of his stare.

"Yet." He clarified, and he walked closer to her and crouched down before her, his forearms resting lazily on his thighs. Kaoru bit her lip… _yet._ His eyes quickly went to her mouth, his eyebrow rising. "I don't know why you let him touch you."

He commented.

Her eyes snapped angrily to his, "I didn't LET him do anything!" she yelled. She balled her hand in a fist and tried quickly to punch him, but he simply raised his hand and caught her fist before it impacted. His grip wasn't overbearing, but it was firm, like steel, not forgiving, not even in the slightest bit. She tried to pull her hand back, but he did not release it. His eyes were shadowed in bloodlust and heat, the heat poured over her in waves from his proximity, chocking her.

"You will not allow anyone other than me to touch you." He said firmly. Kaoru stared daggers into him.

"Yes, and I would keep you from doing it too, but as I said before, I can't stop him when I am completely overpowered in every way. I am not a demon." She spat the word 'demon' out like it was a curse. She hated this man, this demon who seemed intent on keeping her for whatever reason, but that reason was and would probably remain a complete mystery to her. She tried to pull her arm away from him again as emphasis to her words. His grip tightened and his look became more deadly.

"You will not prevent me from touching you. Little bird, you belong to me. You are mine to do with as I please. If I want to have my way with you, I will, if I wish to cause you pain, you will feel it, and if I wish to end your life, you will cease to breathe." He was angry with her.

_He's mad at me… because I was overpowered? _Kaoru tried to figure out where his logic was. _Not used to human company? Probably used to women like Megumi who could probably beat Isurugi to a pulp. He expects me to be able to take out a demon… _Her eyes narrowed at him. _If you can be angry over that I wish Isurugi would walk back in here now and touch me all damn day just to fucking piss you off! _She didn't really want Isurugi to touch her, but she was so mad she almost wished she could make the man walk back in here and hold her hand all day if it angered the man before her.

"Why do you even want me here? You obviously can't stand me." She snapped at him. He instantly pushed her down onto the futon, covering her body with his, and her pulse quickened. She hated how her body reacted to him, she wanted to be cold and invulnerable, and at least have some way to protect herself. He held her arms down, and laid on top of her, his head back to stare furiously at her.

"Do not presume to know everything little bird." His gaze was angry, but his voice was disturbingly silky and unemotional. "All you need to know is that you are mine." He frowned, "I can smell you still." And bent his head down to her neck to sniff her. Kaoru wasn't sure why she couldn't seem to fight him back as she did to Isurugi, probably because she saw where things were going with him, but this man… he made her angry, but he had yet to throw her across rooms and had so far saved her twice.

He growled and pressed his face farther into her neck and her body froze, her heart was so loud she was sure he could hear it. Opening his mouth, he licked a lazy line up her jugular, causing Kaoru shiver. His lips curved in a smile next to her skin.

_Is he going to eat me now?_ She shook at the thought, mostly because a terrifying part of her mind she had never been aware of before warned her that she might enjoy it.

Slowly pulling back, he sat on his haunches, releasing her, and watched her try to control her breathing. A smug smirk lit his face at her reaction. "Yes, I will keep you for a while." He stood slowly, and walked to the wall behind the head of the futon and sat, pulling his katana out and setting it between his crossed legs.

After many moments, Kaoru sat up slowly. She was furious. _He just does whatever he wants, and… I can do nothing! _It was how things were going to be now it seemed, and it drove her insane. Kaoru had never been one to just let herself be a victim, but this was more complicated. Her problem was, that even as cruel as he could be, and even though he acted as if he owned her… she was still physically attracted to him like no man before and her body betrayed her fiercely. Her mind would fog at his nearness, at his scent, and she was not sure she could combat that. She would, however, try her best. _Who knows, perhaps in time, I'll get used to it. _She doubted she would have the sort of time to be used to this. His body, eyes and smell were like a drug on her senses, and she was pretty sure he was all too aware of what it did to her, and she scowled at the thought.

Kaoru began to stand and walk to the porch, well aware that a pair of golden eyes followed her, though he remained silent. She bent down and retrieved the lantern and turned to walk back inside, closing the door behind her. It would be too cold in the room if she left it open. She went back to the futon and sat down. _I can't run… I don't want Isurugi nor however many other demons in this house after me. What can I do?_

She placed the lantern next to her and looked down at her hands, after a moment of assessing them and finding they really weren't too bad, she began to try to dig some of the less buried splinters out. Trying to focus entirely on her task, and ignoring the stare she felt boring through her back. It was difficult, but she forced her mind other places.

Kaoru thought of her father. He had been a great man in her eyes, and in all honesty, she knew that the fate that befell him was not anyone's fault. Kamiya Koshijiro had loved her and her mother desperately. When her mother fell ill with lung cancer, her father had become despirate to find a way to cure her. It was his love for her mother that drove him slowly more and more desperate. Eventually, her mother's illness became much more severe, and each breath was near torture, Kaoru closed her eyes at the memory. They were both helpless to stop the pain. It wasn't the peaceful death they wished for her, and when her life finally ended, a large piece of her father had died with her. He still made a grave effort to be the father she once knew, but she could seen the pain he tried to hide from her.

One day, her father had gotten in a fight in town and was badly injured. No one knew who had done it, and her father refused to give the identity of the attacker. From what she later heard, someone had said something ill of her mother, and her father had simply lost it. In the end, her father was self-loathing, for allowing himself to be so weak, and he showed an optimistic side she hadn't seen much of since the death of her mother. Kaoru later realized that it had been for his desire to never leave her alone that he had fought so hard to stay alive.

Taking a deep sigh, she removed the last splinter she could see, deciding to perhaps work on the rest later. She pulled her knees up to her chest as she sat on the futon, resting her head on them and closing her eyes. The reason the village was lashing out at her, was mostly because her mother hadn't been the most honorable woman prior to meeting her father. She came from poor origins and had met my father while eating lunch with some friends. Captivated instantly, her father began to pursue her, despite her best efforts to ditch him. A smile curved Kaoru's lips at the stories she remembered her father telling her. He had come from a fairly distinguished line, and his family was in the process of arranging for him to marry another. Being a Kamiya, he was quite stubborn, and eventually got his way. Even though her mother had grown up in a brothel, though never being one herself, she had worked in the kitchens', her father wanted nothing more than to be with her. Even as rumors of her being a whore had spread to try and get him to rejoin his family, he never did, and they eventually disowned him.

He somehow made everything work out, but towns could hold severe grudges, especially when not knowing the full story of what had happened. It was romantic to Kaoru though, that her father loved her mother so dearly. Her heart sank at the thought that followed; _I'll never have that. _Her shoulders drooped and she laid down in bed. She was exhausted, and even the eyes she knew would be staring at her couldn't keep her from the sweet sleep that took her.

AN: Sorry the chapter is pretty short. I've actually been really frustrated with how I want this to go, and it's difficult with not being entirely satisfied with how the story started off. I am, however, very moved by some of the comments, especially while doubting my writing, then reading some of the comments really make me feel like writing more. I'm happier with this chapter than the previous two... lol hopefully that doesn't mean that everyone else will hate it. I'm a little iffy about the happenings of Kaoru's parents, however they really aren't a major part of the story and her dealings with the town are really pretty much over, however I felt the need to answer some of the questions that were lingering around.

Kenshin isn't much of a sharer, he is calmer at the moment mostly because he doesn't really have any strong feelings towards Kaoru other than general curiousity. I suppose the curiousity is strong enough for him to want to bring her home with him, though not strong enough to get seriously pissed at another demon touching her.

Once again, thank you all for reading, and I'm sorry I didn't write much though I made you wait a little bit longer. It should start picking up from here as I have a stronger idea about the beef of the story rather than how I wanted it to begin haha! So lame, but true. I also have been getting a lot more ideas for other stories ;) So keep an eye out for that around October. I'll be heading to the states for September, and will hopefully still be able to continue my chapter updates from there ^_^

3's Jackson


	4. Guest

Heat Chapter 4: Guest

Kenshin sat for a while watching the girl on the futon's chest rise and fall steadily. She had fallen asleep quickly once she finally laid down. He couldn't understand his curiosity with her, but one thing he knew, were his instincts, and they wanted her alive. The storm was finally upon them, but the thunder did not bother her restful sleep, and an unfamiliar part of him was glad for it. He stood silently, and moved closer to the girl. He crouched down near her for a moment, watching her face. She wasn't really the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but she had an inner strength and defiance that stirred at something in him. It was a courage he wasn't sure she was even aware of herself, but he had seen it, and if she didn't fear him, it might be more prominent. He had watched as her dojo was burned, her scent had caught his attention on his way back to the house, and he strayed from his normal path.

Kenshin remembered how she had fought against the three men, though it was futile. He had watched distastefully as she had been knocked unconscious, and carried through the woods. Biting back a snarl, he remembered what they had wanted to do to her, and before any harm could befall this strange woman before him, he had made his appearance. He had been recognized by one of the males, and that was all he had needed. The men raced back to town, as if they could escape him if he had wished to chase them. A small grin formed at the corner of his mouth. He had only wished to watch her, never intending to show himself before her, however… something deep inside him wanted her alive, and until he could figure out it's reasons, she would remain so. He had been surprised that the toad had even attacked her with his own scent filling the air around her, but toads weren't well known for being the smartest of demons.

In a fluid motion he stood, pushing the part of him back that wanted to simply remain by her side. Disgusted by this part of himself, he left the room; he had a guest.

Kenshin made his way to the front door and opened it to see a rather annoyed looking water demon. She was petite, with a long braid hanging down her back. She gave him a glare and strode past him without so much as a "hi". She walked into the entranceway and sat down on a bench near the fountain in the center of the room. Kenshin shut the door, he had known she was angry from his summons; water demons such as her were particularly easy to read.

"Why did you summon me Battousai." It wasn't really a question, it was more a demand and she carefully eyed him. He moved to stand a few feet away.

"Shishio has killed Hannya." He said, and she turned her head quickly in his direction, her eyes wide and hurt. The storm outside shook the house. "I need you to calm down Misao." He said, "I can't have you tearing the house apart."

"Why would he do that? Hanya was only there to visit, as per the treaty. Making sure he wasn't doing… anything he shouldn't be. We should have just killed Shishio during the war and be done with him!" she yelled, her voice filled with pain at the news. "Why am I here then? You didn't need me here to say this."

"True, I don't. But I summoned you for two reasons. First, these lands have been in drought, and need the rain. I lack a water demon at my disposal, therefore I needed you." He said calmly, though his voice was devoid of any real emotion.

Misao scoffed, "As if I'm the only water demon around."

"Misao, I understand that you are mourning." Kenshin said, reminding himself to be patient. He couldn't empathize with as much as Misao loved Hanya. Hanya had been like family to Misao, she had grown up with him, and he had taught her everything she knew.

She was obviously struggling to keep herself from crying, and the house shook once more. "What is the second reason you brought me her?" she asked, her shoulders tense, tears beginning to stream down her face. She couldn't keep it bottled up for long.

"Well I'm having doubts about your ability now, since you seem unable to control your emotions." He stated as if the second reason suddenly no longer mattered.

She glared at him angrily, then forced herself to calm down. The rain outside began to weaken and slowly let up all together. Nodding at her, Kenshin continued, "I want you to spy on Shishio." Her eyes widened at his request, and he continued. "With the permission of Aoshi of course. Being a water demon, there is no place you can't go, no where you can't squeeze into, and I already know you have been trained in subversion. The Oniwabanshuu have trained you well. Shishio is not only a threat to me, but to Aoshi, and Saito as well. We need to know what he is up to, and I need to know my information is coming from a reliable source."

There was a long silence. Kenshin didn't doubt that she would accept to take the message back to Aoshi, but it was easier to communicate to Aoshi if he got Misao agreed first. He would need to meet with Aoshi soon regarding this, but he knew if Misao thought she was needed to go in, then she would fight Aoshi to let her go. Being his mate, it would be easier for her to confront him about doing something dangerous rather than him telling Aoshi that his mate needed to go into Shishio's territory. Misao watched him for a long time, the tears still streaked across her face, the silence seemed to stretch on forever, until finally, understanding dawned on the small demon.

She looked away and the corner of her mouth curled up. "Battousai… it's unlike you to use such underhanded methods. I understand your reasons, however, it's quite an insult to Aoshi-sama." At that Kenshin actually laughed, it wasn't quite the cheerful laugh you would expect, though it was obvious he was humored by her statement.

"Yes, I knew you were likely to see through my request." He grinned at her, though Misao missed it as her head was turned from him, watching the fountain. "Especially being Aoshi's mate. I am surprised you still call him 'Aoshi-sama'."

Misao shrugged, the death of Hanya had made her, much more amicable.

"I have a room ready for you. I have another guest here today, you will stay across the room from her, and take care of her tomorrow while I tend to other matters. It seems Megumi hasn't quite taken to her, though you know how Megumi can be."

Misao looked back at him at this information and raised an eyebrow. She grumbled at the mention of Megumi, "If you wouldn't let the rooster rile her up so much, she'd probably be much more pleasant."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed threateningly at Misao and she became rigid. "It is not my concern." His voice was like an ice dagger, that seemed to scrape down her spine, causing her to involuntarily shudder. He turned and walked away, Misao understood his meaning by the action and stood, silently following angry red haired demon.

Kenshin walked through a long hall, then turned and opened the shoji for Misao. "You will remain here." His voice was cold, and distanced. He then pointed at the door across from her, "The girl is in here. Make sure she eats tomorrow." He then turned and walked back down the hall towards his own quarters.

Misao sighed, she knew she had gotten too comfortable talking to Kenshin, anything that insinuated insubordination… like her telling him what to do for instance, and he would snap back to being the cold, Sentinel leader he was. Sighing, Misao turned and walked into her room, shutting the door and laying down to sleep. Misao curled up and fell asleep, not even bothering to change into a yukata. Her dreams were far from peaceful, the pain of Hanya's death tortured her sleep.

AN: This is a crazy short chapter, but it's been so long since I updated that I figured I should post this in the meantime. I actually HAAAATE this chapter, but I have better ones coming up. The reason I dislike this chapter the most is because of the writing, it could be written much better than this. Oh well, a better chapter is coming soon. I just didn't get to write much while in the states, I had a lot more people wanting to hang out than I thought I would haha.

In the next chapter you'll get to learn more about the different demon classes! Writing Kenshin like this isn't easy, and I'm not sure I made him react the way I really wanted him to, I've been away from a computer for too long :P

Another chapter will be out within a week though!


	5. Education

Heat 5

The following morning Kaoru awoke to find herself alone in the room. Sighing in relief, she pushed the covers away from her and stretched. It felt better to not have those amber eyes boring into her; it made her overly self-conscious. Kaoru stood, her feet padding along the cool wooden floors. The old wood was smooth from years of use, and it made the room much more comfortable. She liked the rustic feel of her room; anything too fancy would have made her feel severely out of place.

By the light in the room, Kaoru could tell that it was still fairly early in the morning, perhaps eight o'clock or so. Glancing around she noticed that someone had set a kimono and obi on the floor just inside the door. Moving to retrieve it, she noticed that it had a rather beautiful design. It was a deep blue at the bottom that lightened only slightly towards the top to a more traditional blue. Embroidered throughout the fabric were tree branches adorned with flowers and scattered butterflies. Whoever made it must have spent a long time on the embroidery. Kaoru felt she shouldn't be given something so fanciful to wear, but she had no other clean clothes, so with a sigh, she began to change. It took her longer than normal to ready herself since it had been a long time since she had worn a traditional Kimono.

Kaoru heard some movement outside her room before there was a soft knock. At first she thought it might be her red haired tormentor, but quickly thought better of it since he didn't seem like the sort to knock. Finishing the cord on her obi she slid the door open, on the other side was a short woman. The girl seemed younger than Kaoru, though only by a year or two, but when their eyes finally met, Kaoru couldn't really be sure. The girl was a demon for sure; the vivid green eyes couldn't belong to anything but.

Kaoru couldn't help but think how cute the smaller girl was, though her shoulders seemed slumped as if she had a great weight upon them. Interrupting their assessment of one another was Kaoru's stomach growling and she blushed in embarrassment. But the smaller girl smiled suddenly and said; "Kenshin asked me to make sure you got breakfast."

Kaoru sighed in relief, "Thank goodness, it's been a while since I ate. One second I still have the rice I brought with me." Kaoru turned and hurried to grab the bag of rice while Misao waited at the door. Turning to cross back across the room with the rice in hand, she couldn't help but smile.

"I began to wonder if demons eat as often as humans."

Misao began leading her down the simple halls to the kitchen, "Well some do, and some don't. Ah, I'm being rude." She stopped and turned towards Kaoru, "My name is Makimachi Misao, but everyone just calls me Misao." She grinned.

Kaoru smiled, liking this girl already, "I'm Kamiya Kaoru, please call me Kaoru." Misao sighed in apparent relief, then began walking again, "I was a little worried what you might be like to be honest. Kenshin doesn't usually keep company, much less in his won room. How did you come to be here?" Misao asked, a much happier note in her voice.

Kaoru couldn't help but feel she was finally making a friend, something she hadn't had in quite a while. The question seemed simple enough, though Kaoru wasn't really sure where to start.

"Well… I was pretty much cast out of my town I suppose, and left in the woods at night. A toad demon attacked me, not like I really knew where I was going anyways, but Kenshin just sort of showed up. He healed me and forced me to follow him here." Kaoru felt that was a decent summary. Misao paused in the entry way and Kaoru noticed a beautiful stone fountain that she had somehow missed when she first arrived. Looking away from the fountain she saw Misao looking confused and apparently deep in thought.

Kaoru stepped closer to Misao and asked, "What is it?"

The smaller girl pursed her lips for a moment before answering, "I'm sure it's really not a big deal, there might be something I don't know or that… well not it' wouldn't be different for Kenshin. Ugh!" she ruffled her hair, "it's just, demons like Kenshin don't just offer their blood to ANYONE. So it's quite strange that he would give you, someone he just met, his blood. Him giving you his blood could be harmless since you're just a human, but it gives you access to his soul. I'm guessing you haven't really felt it though… maybe humans really aren't able to sense such things… no offense." Misao tried to wave it off.

Kaoru frowned, "Even if I felt it… I probably wouldn't know that's what it was. Could you… teach me more?"

Misao grinned, "Not to worry, I think that is something Kenshin also wishes for me to do. First, lets get you some food; we're near the kitchen now. This side of the house is much more luxurious, this is usually where guests stay, but Kenshin prefers more simple things, which is why the other side of the house is vastly different." She began walking again as she finished, and Kaoru once again began to follow.

They went through a large and beautiful courtyard that had a small bond full of large koi. Kaoru left Misao's side to get a better look at the fish.

"This is where events are usually held." Misao explained, watching Kaoru.

"You have events?" Kaoru asked absent-mindedly and Misao laughed.

"Of course we do."

Kaoru realized she knew nothing of this new world in which she was now immersed, and found that fact to be somewhat frightening. It was an entirely different way of living, and she had no idea of what was now expected of her.

"Come. I'll show you more later, but at this rate, we'll never make it to the kitchen." Misao chuckled. "Don't worry so much right now. It seems that for now, Kenshin intends to take care of you."

Kaoru nodded and began to follow Misao once more. She really loved the garden, it was large with stone paths cut through it, and the pond was actually rather large, though small in comparison to the vastness of the courtyard. The kitchen was rather close to the courtyard and they entered through elegant double wooden doors inlaid with gold. The kitchen was nothing like what Kaoru expected.

There were about 10 stoves and 5 sinks. The counters were large and topped with marble, there were a few carts against one wall, which Kaoru assumed was to store foods, and hold event food. There was a large metal door to the far wall, and Kaoru couldn't seem to figure out what it might lead to. There was a large island in the middle that had stools on one side and large pots and pans hanging down from a rack above it. Misao grabbed Kaoru's hand, pulling her father into the room with a smile.

"Here, sit down." She gently removed the rice from Kaoru's hand and motioned towards the only other person in the room. It was a girl, maybe a year or so older than Kaoru. She had a warm smile on her face, her brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and she had a bandana on her head, probably to keep hair away from the food.

"Ah, Himura-sama that we had a guest." The woman patted down the apron she was wearing. "I'm Sekihara Tae, I am in charge of the kitchens." Kaoru smiled in response and sat down on a stool, as Misao handed Tae the bag of rice.

"She had this with her when she came here I suppose, never hurts to have a little extra rice." Misao said cheerfully. "Tae this is Kaoru, Kenshin picked her up yesterday it seems."

Misao turned her head back to Kaoru, "Tae's not a demon, she's a human like you."

Kaoru smiled at Tae, "It's nice to meet you!"

Tae nodded in response, "So what would you like to eat? I can make just about anything." She grinned in pride.

"Ah, some steamed rice and miso soup is fine with me." Kaoru smiled in appreciation. "Would you like any help? Though I'm really not very good in the kitchen."

Tae chucked, "Ah, that will not be necessary." She began to cook the food quickly and efficiently.

Misao sat next to Kaoru on a stool, "Tae has been here for quite a while. A town up north gave her to Kenshin as a sacrifice, though Kenshin doesn't like people to be sacrificed, but I guess the town didn't know, so he kinda got stuck with you eh Tae?" The older woman laughed as she opened the bag of rice.

"Indeed, he's stuck with me. It's really worked out well for me though."

Kaoru perked up at that, _worked out?_ "What do you mean? You're forced to stay here aren't you?"

Tae laughed harder, "Forced! Lord no. Himura-sama has never locked me up, nor has he ever tried to cause harm to me. The only thing he asked was that I cook honorably and to the best of my ability. I suppose now he has some level of trust for me, since he doesn't have anyone else cook for him. Demons can be untrusting creatures, especially Sentinels who have to worry about lesser demons trying to underhandedly kill them off in order to rule the lands."

"Though no one but a Sentinel can manage the lands. It simply wouldn't work, that's not to say that there aren't imbeciles who think they can though." Misao smiled.

"I guess… he just hasn't really told me what is expected of me." Kaoru frowned and set her elbows on the counter and setting her chin in her palms, slouching, which was quite a site in her elaborate kimono. "It just makes me feel like I'm completely out of place. Even this kimono just doesn't feel right, I feel like I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go. I'd rather just have my normal clothes and a bokken."

Tae smiled gently and set the soup and rice down in front of Kaoru, who eagerly began to eat. "Ah this is the best miso I've ever had Tae! Thank you. No wonder Kenshin only allows you to cook for him, you're really good."

Tae blushed lightly at the praise, then waved her had, "It's really a very simple meal, just wait until an event. I'll blow you out of the water."

Misao smiled, "Ya, no modesty this one." Which caused Tae to laugh.

Kaoru felt very at ease. She felt like she could be happy here, with these women. She still had no idea what to do with herself, but at least she had new friends, it was something that could help ground her. Pleasant company would help make her feel not so lost in this new world.

The door to the kitchen suddenly opened, a boy entered, his hair was black and went almost every direction. His eyes were stubborn, and he held an air of superiority. The boy's eyes locked on Misao's, "Oy Weasel!" He called, his tone annoyed. Misao jumped up and glared daggers back at the boy.

"What did you say you lil brat!" Misao snarled.

"What you deaf now too?" the boy grinned, his shoulders straightening to fight back.

Tae laughed, breaking the tension Kaoru felt, _what is going on?_

"Don't mind then Kaoru, this is Yahiko, he and Misao like to rile each other up." Tae smiled happily. Kaoru turned her head to look back at the two… they did look somewhat like siblings, and she couldn't help but smile as well.

"What do you want?" Misao frowned at Yahiko.

"Kenshin wants ta see you." Yahiko turned, but not before glancing at Kaoru for a moment and leaving the room, Misao following while throwing more insults at the boy.

"Its quite a lively house isn't it?" Kaoru smiled. She finished the last of her soup and stretched. "Thank you for the meal!"

Tae took the dishes up and began to wash them. Kaoru traced the patterns on the marble countertop. "Tae, do you have even a clue as to why Kenshin would bring me here? And something else has been bothering me, Misao says that I've been staying in Kenshin's room on top of all this, why would he have me sleep there?" Tae finished washing the dishes and set them aside to dry off before turning back to Kaoru and walking up to the counter.

"Well, to be honest, I really can't say. I never stayed in Himura-sama's room. I don't want to say anything out of place, but he might be more interested in you, possibly more possessive if he is keeping you in his room. It will ensure that you smell of him, and probably keep other demons away. Of course I'm not a demon and so this is mere speculation more than anything." Tae looked up and twisted her lips.

"I can understand how his actions would be confusing though. As long as I've lived here, he's never had anyone stay in his room to my knowledge. But Himura-sama is a very complex demon, I don't know anyone who really knows what's going on in that head of his. Don't stress too much about it right now though, I'm sure things will become clear soon." Tae looked back at Kaoru and smiled.

Kaoru nodded, it really didn't do her much good to stress on the topic. "Tae, how long have you been here anyways?" Kaoru asked.

"Hmm, it's been about 20 years I think now… give or take a year." She chuckled. Kaoru's jaw dropped.

"How is that possible? You don't look a day over 20 now!" she said, standing in disbelief.

"Ah, well. Megumi has discovered that using certain demon DNA mixed with… well lord knows what else, will add years to a normal human. I have to take it once every six months, it's not permanent, so if I stop taking it, I'll begin to age again, but as long as Himura-sama wishes, I will stay here." Tae explained, "Though I don't really understand the scientific side of it myself, but it works." She giggled.

Kaoru nodded, "This just seems… unreal." Tae nodded in agreement, thought he smile remained plastered on her face.

A few minutes later, the door reopened and Misao strode into the kitchen. "Kenshin, as I expected, wishes for me to begin teaching you the 'demon way of life' as he put it. At least until I have to return home, which could really be at any time, so we should go ahead and begin." Misao grabbed Kaoru's hand and began to pull her out of the kitchen. "See ya later Tae!" And waved as she walked out the door.

"Come on, it's a beautiful day out!" Misao released Kaoru's hand and began to skip towards the front door. Kaoru smiled and followed.

"I'm glad that he wants me to learn more about this world… though I am somewhat confused that he actually instructed you to do it." Kaoru smiled, she couldn't help it, Misao's happiness was infectious.

Misao shrugged, "Eh, there will be some things that only Kenshin can explain." She said as she opened the front door and hopped out. "But it will be good for you to know at least the different types of demons and some basic information about them, thought I really thought they taught a little more about us in your towns… oh well." They made their way a decent distance from the house near a large lake in the woods.

"Let's see… where to begin." She smiled and took her shoes off to dip her feet in the water. "Well first of all, there are five demon classes; Sentinels, Beasts, Elementals, Sirens, and Half-Breeds." Kaoru sat on the grass near her and Misao laid back, then rolled to her stomach and began to line some rocks up in a row as she spoke.

"Beasts are the most common, and almost none of them mate for life. As far as is well known, only wolf and eagle demons are more likely to mate for life although it's not guaranteed that they will.

Beast demons take on the nature and sometimes the appearance of the animal spirit, if you will, in which their abilities come from, though with certain differences. Like the toad demon that you ran into could spit fire." Misao smiled, "Kenshin told me. There are also some that have a piercing and debilitating screech, and some that can manipulate pheromones, like Tomoe."

"Tomoe?" Kaoru asked.

"Ah, she was a demon that Kenshin nearly mated with." Misao shrugged, "Beast demons have almost unlimited possibilities, but are generally among the weakest of the demons. Half breeds are more likely to appear from this demon class, since they are more likely than any other to take human mates."

Misao sat up, grabbing the stones she'd collected and began to skip them across the water. "Elementals usually have a pretty 'down to earth' disposition, mostly due to the fact that their nature is fairly stable and grounded. They can have control over a narrow or large range of things, depending on their own strengths and abilities. I, for example, have control over weather, wind and water. I can create water even without a source, which makes me quite strong. Most water demons can only manipulate water, but can't create their own, they need a source. Without some control, a demon that can control weather is easy to read. Our emotion can be mirrored in the weather if we aren't careful." Misao blushed.

"Water, Earth and Air elementals also mate for life with few exceptions. Fire demons rarely mate for life; they also tend to be sensual, over emotional and possessive. Sanosuke is a fire elemental, and Megumi is an earth elemental… so they often butt heads." Misao laughed, thinking about the two of them. Kaoru tried to retain as much information as she could, and Misao continued.

"Half-Breeds are actually pretty rare. You see, even with human mates, the offspring is likely to be either completely human, or completely demon. It's very rare that a child will get half of one parent and half of the other. My mate is a Sentinel; our child would be either a sentinel or an elemental. It would be very, VERY unlikely that it would be half of each, in fact, I've never heard of a demon being half sentinel, I don't know if it's even possible. Either way, it's unlikely that you will run across a half-breed. It's even more unlikely that you will come across a Siren. We haven't seen a Siren in so long we're not even 100% sure they even exist anymore."

Kaoru tilted her head, "What are Sirens? I've never even heard of them before."

"It is an extremely rare demon to come across, and they are easily mistaken for being human. Sirens possess extreme beauty and power. Not much ins known about their powers, but it's said that they only mate for life and despite their power are physically weak, which is probably the reason they are little known and usually chose to live life as a human. I've heard that they can read minds, and even manipulate thoughts. The can erase memories, and though I'm not sure how true this is, I'm told they can even stop and reverse time, change events. With such power, it's no wonder they hide among humans. They would be too weak to protect themselves in a demons world, but can live peacefully with humans, safe from anyone who might try to use their powers for themselves. Sadly, I don't know how true any of this really is; I've never met a Siren. There are people who say that their scent is special though. That their smell can be nothing to some demons, but over-whelmingly alluring to others. Though I could go on and on about the rumors of Sirens, but I guess it's not much education if I don't know anything." Misao laughed.

"The final class is Sentinels. All demons heal fast, however sentinels are known for healing particularly fast, and their blood can also be given to heal others while other demons do not have that ability. They very seldomly pick a human mate, because of what they look for in a potential mate. Sentinels must have a mate that is mentally, emotionally and physically strong, someone who can stand up to them when need be. Sentinels can 'enrage', for lack of a better word, if angered, though they rarely do due to their naturally calm nature. If or when they enrage, only the enraged sentinel, or it's mate can calm them down, anyone else they are likely to kill before they can even get close, these strengths are unlikely found in a human. At this time, Kenshin is the only unmated Sentinel. The only one who got close was Tomoe, and she had tried to kill him, but ended up sacrificing herself for him. This was around 50 years ago and she had been a pheromone demon. She slowly subdued Kenshin, but in the end, she had fallen for him as well. Some say Kenshin knew she was using her powers against him, and had started to manipulate her own pheromones to work against her, and weaken her to him, but there isn't much to go on and it's just a theory. Kenshin doesn't talk about it. A sentinel is fiercely protective of his mate and a sure-fire way to enrage a sentinel is to kill his mate, another reason they don't take human mates. However, the only records of sentinels taking human mates were always very strong demons, unfortunately, they were also somewhat arrogant as well, and we usually attribute their downfall to taking a human mate."

Kaoru nodded, she felt like Misao was only showing her the tip of the iceberg with each demon class, but at least this way she would have a little information to start with. Misao was now drying her feet off and getting ready to put her shoes back on.

"Sentinels guard their territory, and enforce demon law. Because they maintain order and balance, it is expected to receive payment. Humans are to provide a home near each town, as well as to provide a few who can help maintain it. For example, Tae works in the kitchen and provides meals, though that wasn't originally what the humans had intended her for; this is now what she does. Tae moves with us now because Kenshin trusts her and there aren't many who he can trust. Sentinels have strange and powerful abilities. Eh, their abilities are so different from one to another, that it's hard to say exactly what their abilities are, besides they are usually fairly secretive of their power." Misao finished, lacing up her shoes.

"Do Sentinels mate for life as well?" Kaoru asked, as she stood up and brushed her kimono off.

Misao nodded, "Always. Without exception."

AN: This chapter was actually going to be longer, I've had a really crazy month and found out that very soon I'll be moving back to the states, so things have been hectic here. Sorry that I didn't get to update sooner, and I'm sorry if there are grammatical errors since I didn't have time to proofread it! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing!

-Jackson


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